63 Impala help needed

I'm working on replacing my steering column in my Impala but i can't figure out how to get the old column out. does the rubber boot have to come through the firewall with the column? how do i get it off of the column to reuse it? thanks in advance

not a good picture but this is where I'm stuck

 

http://www.cl***iccruisincustoms.com/ct1964.html here's alink to the gm biscayne, impala and caprice manual.

 

i have read that, i was just wanting to make sure i understood it right or if anyone had any advice to give me since im trying to do it myself in a space limited garage

 

My suggestion would be to slip it through the hole when you pull the column out. Then to get it off and re use it i'd pull everything off the upper part of the column and slide it upward and off.
A little time consuming but it will come off. To get it off the bottom you will have to remove the shaft and shifter stuff..not as easy and takes longer.
I've had a few of these apart, and just took my 62 column completely apart to rebuild it. I even bought that new seal too.

Tony

 

cool, thanks. maybe i'll look into buying a new seal instead of messing with getting the old one off

 

It will go threw the hole with a little elbo greese.